Wossname -- January 2015 -- Main issue

[News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett]

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 1, Post 1)

********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other 
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. 
Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of 
the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the 
North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname 
is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not 
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) NEW ELEMENT "OCTARINE" PETITION
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) WITHOUT WHOM: STEPHEN BRIGGS
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: LEUCIPOTTOMY
11) REVIEW: "IN MEMORY: A TRIBUTE TO SIR TERRY PRATCHETT"
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Alan Rickman without doubt the most perfect Lord Vetinari there never was."

– the @terryandrob official Twitter account, 15th January 2016

"If it gets the symbol 'Oc', I'm pronouncing it ook."

– Twitterer Jim Sheridan, commenting on the drive by Pratchett fans 
around the world to get a newly discovered element named Octarine

"I choose to celebrate Terry's life and all the joy it brought to many 
and I hope my final cover of a Discworld novel pays tribute to him as a 
fitting mark of my great respect."
– Paul Kidby

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Hello, fellow celebrators of the Year of the Sneezing Panda aka 2016!

I would like to draw your attention to a very special book. No, it's not 
an official Discworld book as such, but it *is* a book that would never 
have existed without the Discworld, and the other works of Sir Terry 
Pratchett, to inspire its creation. The book is called In Memory: A 
Tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett, and is an anthology of mostly humorous 
stories published as a tribute to Sir Pterry and also as a fundraiser 
for Alzheimer's Research UK. So that makes it a Discworld ancillary book 
of a sort...

Over the years Wossname has received and reviewed a number of Discworld 
ancillary books, and we have made no bones about finding many of these 
at best adequate and at worst barely mediocre, but when it comes to "In 
Memory" this is not the case! Please do read the full review, (item 11 
in this issue), and then please, please do buy this book. It is really 
worth the (very reasonable) price, and all proceeds – yes, all of them – 
go to Alzheimer’s Research UK. There is more information at 
http://www.inmemorytribute.com/

*

The release date for the upcoming Small Gods graphic novel, illustrated 
by Ray Friesen, is 14th July 2016. Here be a glimpse of the artwork, 
provided by the @terryandrob Twitter account: 
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZQzJ5hWAAAEWUK.jpg

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

03) NEW ELEMENT PETITION

Do you want a newly discovered Roundworld element named for the colour 
of magic? Of course you do!

An exciting surprise on Change.org...

"Petitioning IUPAC and 2 others

"Name new element 117 Octarine, in honour of Terry Pratchett's Discworld

"This petition is to name element 117, recently confirmed by the 
International Union of Applied Chemistry, as 'Octarine', with the 
proposed symbol Oc (pronounced 'ook'), in honour of the late Terry 
Pratchett and his Discworld series of books... a particularly pleasing 
choice because, not only would it honour a world-famous and much-loved 
author, but it also has an 'ine' ending, consistent with the other 
elements in period 17. Octarine is being counted as 'a mythological 
concept' under IUPAC rules..."

To read the full petition, and to sign if you wish to, go to chn.ge/1mHR3dY

It's also been tweeted by Rob Wilkins, with the link, at 
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/684845900489977856 where Twitter 
account-holders can add a comment.

from BoingBoing:

"Octarine, in the Discworld books, is known as 'the colour of magic', 
which forms the title of Pratchett's first ever Discworld book. 
According to Disc mythology, octarine is visible only to wizards and 
cats, and is generally described as a sort of greenish-yellow purple 
colour, which seems perfect for what will probably be the final halogen 
in the periodic table. Octarine is also a particularly pleasing choice 
because, not only would it honour a world-famous and much-loved author, 
but it also has an 'ine' ending, consistent with the other elements in 
period 17. Octarine is being counted as 'a mythological concept' under 
IUPAC rules, which state that elements must be named after 'a 
mythological concept or character; a mineral, or similar substance; a 
place or geographical region; a property of the element; or a 
scientist'. The Discworld stories are certainly stories about gods and 
heroes..."

http://bit.ly/22NoyN2

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE

According to the Bucks Free Press, Sir Pterry's onetime employers in his 
journalist days, our favourite author's favourite childhood library 
could do with a blue plaque:

"The town council hopes to install a plaque on the wall at Beaconsfield 
Library in Reynolds Road, where Sir Terry was a Saturday boy and 
returned to give talks. Cllr Philip Bastiman, chair of the open spaces 
committee, said the council had been in touch with Sir Terry's daughter 
Rhianna, who was 'very supportive' of the idea of commemorating the 
author. He said: 'Because I believe he worked in the library and used 
the library a lot and he came back and actually gave talks at the 
library relatively recently, in their mind, it had a place in his 
affections. They feel it is wholly appropriate to have a commemorative 
plaque to Terry Pratchett at the library itself.' Cllr Bastiman said 
they could have to wait 'a number of years' for a blue plaque, which are 
commonly used to commemorate historical figures and places, so will 
remember him with their own plaque. The council wants to involve Sir 
Terry's family in the process and may present some designs to them for 
them to choose the best. Cllr Bastiman said: 'I don't think we need to 
be quite so formal in the way we recognise the achievements of one of 
our former citizens. We hope we could get a representative for the 
family to come up and to mark the occasion.'..".

http://bit.ly/1QpCqbq

...and from Get Bucks:

"He was born in Beaconsfield and would often return to the area, most 
recently in 2013 when he gave a talk at the library in Reynolds Road. 
Beaconsfield Town Council has discussed the issue and has agreed that a 
plaque would be a good way to honour the life of one of the town's most 
famous residents. It has been in contact with Sir Terry's family to 
discuss the issue, and is set to ask Bucks County Council if it can move 
ahead with the plans... It is felt that honouring Sir Terry in a similar 
way would be a fitting tribute to the author. Beaconsfield mayor John 
Read said: 'I think it's excellent, and will be a really good way to 
mark his contribution to Beaconsfield and to literature. There are still 
a few things left to do, but it looks like it's all going to go ahead. 
Beaconsfield has a very rich literary history, and it is great to pay 
tribute to those who have lived and worked in Beaconsfield, and made 
such a contribution to the area.'... The town council is hoping to 
present potential designs for the plaque to Sir Terry's family in order 
for them to choose which one they like the most. Further announcements 
about the plaque are expected in the coming months."

bit.ly/1TmgezK


4.2 NEW DEMENTIA SERVICE

News from the Bucks Free Press:

"A new dementia service will be launched for people in Buckinghamshire 
in April – just over a year after Beaconsfield-born Sir Terry Pratchett 
died. The author, who also went to school in High Wycombe and worked as 
a reporter at the Bucks Free Press, died on March 12, 2015. He had 
suffered from Alzheimer's for eight years and had been vocal about the 
need for better care. The new service, which was awarded by 
Buckinghamshire County Council and the Buckinghamshire Clinical 
Commissioning Groups (Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern), will be run by the 
Alzheimer's Society, which Sir Terry supported. From April 1, 
Buckinghamshire residents who are concerned about their memory, or who 
have been diagnosed with dementia, can benefit from the county's new 
Memory Support Service. The new care contract replaces a service which 
is currently split between the Alzheimer's Society and Age UK..."

http://bit.ly/1nkcv9q


4.3 THE END OF MY INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP

My Independent Bookshop (_http://myindependentbookshop.co.uk_) has 
undergone a transformation for the new year. Here be extracts from the 
email Wossname received from their administrators:

"In May 2014, we launched My Independent Bookshop as a community where 
book lovers could create and curate their own virtual bookshelves, 
connect with independent bookshops across the UK and interact with 
fellow bibliophiles... we'll be closing our doors in preparation for 
moving into the brand new http://www.penguin.co.uk/ in the New Year. 
Here you'll be able to find information on all Penguin Random House 
books and authors, as well as read regularly published articles on all 
things books. Along the way, we have had an amazing amount of support 
from everyone we've worked with, from independent bookshops, authors, 
publishers and of course you – our virtual bookshop owners. Together you 
made the My Independent Bookshop community a vibrant place to show off 
our latest literary loves and discuss the books that meant something to 
us. Thank you for populating our virtual streets with your top picks, 
rave reviews and stellar shops. Over 20,000 books were put up on the 
shelves at My Independent Bookshop."

Sir Pterry was among those 20,000 recommenders. If any of you were also 
in that number, O Readers, we commend you for attempting to fight 
against the vile culture-destroying Beast of Amazon. Here's hoping 2016 
will be the year that more and more people wake up and remember that 
keeping bookshops physical and local truly does matter...


4.4 ALZHEIMER'S EARLY DIAGNOSIS PROGRESS

It may soon become possible to spot pre-signs of Alzheimer's 20 years 
before symptoms appear. From The Telegraph:

"Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute and the Uppsala University 
discovered that inflammation occurs in the brain decades before the 
condition shows any other signs. It means that in future doctors could 
predict which people will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease when 
there is still time to make lifestyle changes or take drugs to slow down 
the condition. Treatments which can put the brakes on dementia are 
currently undergoing trials and could be available within a few years, 
so tests which can pick up the disease early are likely to be crucial in 
future care. Researchers followed families who were known to carry genes 
which made them more susceptible to Alzheimer's. Most of them will 
develop the condition by the time they are in their mid-50s. All 
participants underwent memory tests and brain scans. The mutation 
carriers were found to have inflammatory changes – known as astrocyte 
activation - almost twenty years before the estimated debut of memory 
problems. Astrocytes are a type of brain cell which increase following 
an injury to aid repair. The researchers also found a crucial window, 
around seventeen years before symptoms develop, where the sticky amyloid 
plaques which cause dementia began to increase. 'Inflammatory changes in 
the form of higher levels of brain astrocytes are thought to be a very 
early indicator of disease onset,' explains principal investigator 
Professor Agneta Nordberg at the Department of Neurobiology, Care 
Sciences and Society, Centre for Alzheimer Research at the Karolinska 
Institute..."

bit.ly/1nOx6TK

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 SHAKESPEARE CODEX UPDATES

The Studio Theatre Club, "the first, ever, anywhere in the world, to 
dramatise the works of Sir Terry Pratchett", will present the world 
premiere of The Shakespeare Codex by Stephen Briggs, the world's 
*premier* adapter of Discworld stories for the stage. If any of you 
haven't been following the pre-production announcements, The Shakespeare 
Codex is a mashup of The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & 
Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (the last one wasn't written by 
Terry Pratchett, of course), starring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny 
Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, that Shakespeare feller, a noted 
16th-century monarch – and noted Shakespeare impersonator, the Earl of 
Oxford.

When: 6th to 9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames 
Street, Abingdon, OXON OX14 3HZ
Time: 7.30pm evening shows; Saturday matinee time not posted
Tickets: £10 (Wed./Thu.) and £11 (Friday and Saturday matinee). The 
Saturday evening show is already sold out. Tickets are sold via post, 
but phone and email requests can be made. For full information on 
ordering tickets, go to:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

5.2 NEW: MORT IN VIRGINIA (FEBRUARY)

The Sterling Playmakers will be performing 'Mort' next month! Director 
Susan Kronenberg invites Discworld fans old and new to enjoy their 
production:

"Imagine a world where Death (yes, the Grim Reaper himself) can take an 
apprentice. What if that apprentice, Mort, was suddenly put in charge of 
collecting souls while Death takes a holiday? What could possibly go 
wrong? After a 'small' mistake, EVERYTHING! Is this the end of 
Discworld? Will Mort and his friends, Ysabell, Death's 16 (?) year old 
daughter, and Albert, Death's man-servant, along with an incompetent 
wizard and a petulant princess be able to save the day before the whole 
space/time continuum collapses? Chaos abounds while Death searches for 
what it means to be truly 'human.' Join us on this mad romp through 
Terry Pratchett's Discworld — a place where magic works and science 
doesn't. This comic masterpiece will make you die with laughter."

When: 18th, 19th & 20th, 25th, 26th & 27th February 2016.
Venue: Sterling Middle School, 201 W. Holly Ave., Sterling, VA 20164
Time: all performances are at 8pm
Tickets: $12. To buy online, go to 
http://www.sterlingplaymakers.com/buy-tickets/

http://www.sterlingplaymakers.com

5.3 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN DEREHAM (MARCH)

The Dereham Theatre Company will present their performances of the 
Stephen Briggs adaptation of Wyrd Sisters in March!

When: 10th–12th March 2016
Venue: Dereham Memorial Hall, 62a Norwich Street, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1AD
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions for those aged 18 and under or over 60). 
Available Tuesday through Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 9am–3pm at The 
Little Gallery, 62 Norwich Street NR19 1AD; by phone 01362 690 969; and 
by post cheques (supported by a valid cheque card) should be made 
payable to "Dereham Theatre Company" and posted to the address above 
with a stamped self-addressed envelope if you would like the tickets 
sent to you. Tickets can also be booked online at 
http://derehamtheatre.co.uk/ "On-line booking and sales from The Little 
Gallery will be withdrawn on the day of each performance. On the day of 
a performance tickets for that performance can only be purchased from 
the Box Office at Dereham Memorial Hall no earlier than 30 minutes prior 
to the start of the performance."

For full booking details, go to http://dosoc.co.uk/bookingdetails.asp

http://dosoc.co.uk/production2.asp

5.4 NEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)

The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North 
of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by 
Irana Brown, in July.

"We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny and fast-moving 
adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth novel sees the 
welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our stage. It 
promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid disappointment!"

When: 12th to 16th July 2016
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF. 
Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email 
tickets.peoplestheatre at email.com.
(The Box Office is open weekdays 10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 
7.30–8.30pm)

To book online, go to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and 
be prepared to jump through a truly daft series of hoops: 
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe

http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj

5.5 REMINDER: ERIC IN CARDIFF (FEBRUARY)

Monstrous Productions, who have now raised over £16,000 for Alzheimer's 
Research UK, bring their latest new play to the stage next month!

"Eric Thursley doesn't want a lot from life – only mastery of his own 
kingdom, eternal life, and the most beautiful woman who ever lived. But 
he's got a dream, and even summoning the entirely useless failed wizard 
Rincewind by accident isn't going to make him give up any time soon. 
Between these two unlikely heroes and their goal lie ancient kingdoms, 
mythical wars and a lot of people who aren't very happy to see them. 
This includes the Lord of Hell and his great and terrible minions..."

When: Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 February at
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff
Time 7:30 all evening shows;, matinee on Saturday, 2:30. These will be 
held at .
Tickets: £7 for adults (£5 concessions), available to purchase from the 
Gate Theatre box office (029 2048 3344) or by emailing 
monstrousproductions2012 at gmail.com. To book online, go to 
http://7889269b08cd.fikket.com/

http://www.monstrousptc.com/

5.6 REMINDER: THE WEE FREE MEN IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (APRIL)

NOTE: there is a special half-price ticket offer on now! Runs to the 4th 
of February, so get on it! – Ed.

The Unseen Theatre gang bring on a new era of Discworld adaptations with 
The Wee Free Men, adapted and directed by Pamela Munt!

"In the first of a series of Discworld novels for young adults, we meet 
the young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching – a girl who reads the dictionary 
for fun – because no-one ever told her not to. With a trusty frying pan 
as her weapon, her grandmother's magic book (well actually its called 
'Diseases of the Sheep') and the Wee Free Men by her side, Tiffany 
ventures into the realm of faerie land to rescue her very sticky, and 
not particularly likeable, baby brother. But, of course, all is not what 
it seems..."

When: Wed. 15th April to Sat. 30th April 2016; a Sunday 17th April 
matinee is to be confirmed
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee
Tickets: Adults $22; Concession $18; Children $18; Groups (6+) $16; TREv 
$16; Families (2 A & 2ch.) $60. Al tickets for the Preview night (15th 
April) are $15. To book online, go to www.bakehousetheatre.com. Tickets 
can also be purchased at the door on the night, subject to availability. 
Box office opens 7pm.

http://bakehousetheatre.com/shows/wee-free-men

5.7 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)

We Are Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in July!

When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box 
office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact 
wearetheatre at googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107

www.wearetheatre.co.uk

5.8 REVIEW: UPPINGHAM THEATRE'S WYRD SISTERS

Uppingham Gets it Right

by Annie Mac

Readers of Wossname will by now recognise the name of the Uppingham 
Theatre Company, whose late-October 2015 production of Wyrd Sisters had 
a long and fascination pre-production runup that we featured over many 
issues. Being many thousands of miles from Uppingham, I was unable to 
attend a performance of the play in person, but techmaster Martin Baines 
kindly arranged to send a recording of one performance to me via clacks. 
And I am very glad he did – this is not the first amateur theatre 
rendering of Stephen Briggs' Wyrd Sisters play that I've seen, but 
beyond doubt it is the best.

Top marks go to Stephen Green and Meryl Vincent-Enright as would-be 
royal couple Duke and Duchess Felmet, especially to Ms Vincent-Enright 
for giving the Duchess that fine – and canonically accurate – balance of 
pompousness and murderousness that melds Lady Macbeth and Hyacinth 
Bucket. Mick Barker excels as the Fool, the miserable bells-festooned 
jester who is far from foolish. The scenes between the Duke and his Fool 
are among the best in the production. Also of special note is Andrew 
Chapman's turn as Vitoller, owner-manager of the company of strolling 
players who shelter the infant Rightful King of Lancre (well played as a 
young man by Geran Jackson), and George Larkin's as the ghost of Verence 
I, recently-murdered Previous Rightful King of Lancre.

As for the Wyrd Sisters themselves, Joy Everitt's portrayal of Granny 
Weatherwax has just the right amount of Granny's famously tight-lipped 
"I can't be having with this". Holly Bertalan may not be anywhere near 
as (also famously) flat-chested as Magrat but she makes up for her lack 
of lack by hitting Magrat's New Age-y soppiness spot-on. And Gillian 
Kendon does a creditable Nanny Ogg, although I could have done with 
seeing more of Nanny's legendary sauciness that Ms Kendon only showed at 
the very end of the production as she danced off into the wings, kicking 
up her heels and displaying her "scandalous" bright red petticoat with 
correctly Oggish delight.

Vikki Shelton's direction is nicely timed, keeping the action moving 
along and getting the best projection from her players, and the entire 
cast achieves a satisfyingly low incidence of fluffed lines. But in many 
ways the shiniest star of this production is its technical excellence. 
Uppingham's Wyrd Sisters features the most professional-looking stage 
and costume design I have ever seen in an amateur theatre Discworld 
presentation. The sets are clever and striking, utilising well-planned 
back projection to create believable vistas – the wild Lancre moors, the 
streets (all right, street) of Ankh-Morpork, the vast-roomed, draughty 
expanses of Lancre castle and it gloomy dungeon. A round of applause 
goes to the aforementioned Martin Baines for his projection and 
projection design, and to stage manager Alan Jackson for ensuring that 
everything and everyone in this physically intricate presentation goes 
smoothly. Bex Key and John Everitt discharge their lighting and sound 
duties superbly, but I think I'll have to award Man of, that is, 
Seamstres-, er, Needlewoman of the Match to Mandy Jackson for her design 
and creation of the wonderful costumes, especially the Duchess' 
extraordinary gown that looked to be of full-on telly costume drama quality.

What marks the Uppingham Theatre Company's production of Wyrd Sisters 
most of all is its sense of dedication – to detail, to the spirit of the 
chosen play, to making sure every member of the company gave their best 
from early days to the well-merited final bow. As producer-director, 
Vikki Shelton infused the entire process with indefatigable enthusiasm 
and all manner of promotional ideas, and most of all with sheer honest 
heart and soul. I do hope the company chooses to do another play from 
the series one of these days; based on the great showing of Wyrd 
Sisters, I would say Discworld is in great hands in Uppingham.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

CLACKS: THE REVIEWS!

6.1 The official Wossname review, by Steven D'Aprano:

The Clacks board game turns the climax of "Going Postal" completely 
around. Inspired by the infamous race between the Grand Trunk clacks 
company and the Royal Ankh-Morpork Post Office, in this game you try to 
race to Genua. But with a twist: you are working for the villains of the 
book, the Grand Trunk, and you're trying to beat the Post Office 
(represented by a cute little figurine of the Postmaster Moist von 
Lipwig – painted gold, of course).

Presumably the Post Office has magical assistance, as the Postmaster 
speeds from town to town in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the Trunk is 
plagued by problems including Deep Downers, inconveniently placed golems 
with bright lights, substandard wick-trimming, Nugganites, roving 
reporter Miss Sacharissa Cripslock, and the dreaded Killer Poke. 
Fortunately you only have to transmit two short words. Can you beat the 
Post Office?

And the race is on!

"Clacks" is fundamentally a game of skill, with just enough element of 
chance to mix it up a bit. It is certainly a challenging game, but fun, 
and will especially suit people with good pattern-matching skills. To 
move forward, you have a limited number of Jacquards available to flip 
the tower's lamps from On to Off, or vice versa. There are sixteen lamps 
all up, and you flip some number of them by playing a Jacquard from your 
hand. If you succeed in making the code for the letter you are trying to 
transmit, you move your token one step closer to Genua. A system of 
Stress Points and Faults control how often breakdowns occur and how fast 
the Post Office moves.

If you're the sort of person who loves coin flipping puzzles, you might 
love this game. Even if you aren't too fond of them, it can still be 
very enjoyable once you get how the lamp flipping system works. I feel 
that the game's recommended age range, seven to adult, is probably 
over-optimistic. It seems to me that the average seven year old would 
find the lamp flipping too difficult to be fun. I had a bit of trouble 
too, admittedly after a long and tiring day, but once I got past that, 
and could successfully transmit letters, I found the game very enjoyable.

Clacks is a rich and complex game, with three different sets of action 
cards ("Operator's Log", "Incident Report", and "Maintenance Report"). 
There are three distinct games possible: a cooperative game where the 
players work together to beat the Post Office, a competitive game where 
players play against each other, and a "Junior Race Game" for two 
players using simplified rules. Don't be put off by the word "Junior", 
it's quite good for adults too, especially when you're still learning 
how to recognise letter patterns and play Jacquards to make new 
patterns. Plus there are a variety of optional rules which can make the 
game more interesting for those who have mastered the basic rules, so 
you won't get bored in a hurry.

(Hint: if you're looking to make it even more of a challenge, you can 
limit yourself to playing only a single Jacquard each turn, as we 
accidentally did.)

The quality of the physical game pieces is excellent, and BackSpindle 
Games certainly haven't stinted on the materials used. I especially love 
that the rule book is printed as a Haynes Operators' Manual. The game 
pieces are very well made, and the artwork is well-done but not quite to 
my taste. (A bit too dark, and not quite enough contrast to read the 
cards easily.) There's an unfortunate discrepancy where the manual 
refers to the Maintenance Report cards as "Fault Report" cards, and 
preparing the lamp tiles for the first time is a bit fiddly, but making 
up for that, there's a lovely secret message in the manual, hidden in 
plain sight.

I have no hesitation in giving this game a thumbs up, and I certainly 
will play it again.


6.2 Other reviews...

By "Miss T Fied" on Amazon:

"It is incredibly well made, lovely solid quality pieces but not the 
sort of game to play with the whole family unless they all have Phd's 
and are great at mental manipulation. I don't and I'm not :-( BUT after 
a couple of days, we worked it out and to be fair, it's quite good. It 
can be played in different ways – suitable for kiddies (this is how we 
eventually learned to play it); collaboratively or competitively as 
adults. I'm still not 100% sure we are playing it correctly, but I 
prefer it to Witches."

...and by Antonios S on RPGnet, who calls it "Classy & Well Done" for 
style and "Average" for substance:

"The game takes place in a 4 x 4 square board. Each position can be 
either on or off, thus geometrical shapes will be produced. Each letter 
of the English alphabet corresponds to a 3 x 2 rectangle where some 
positions are on and some are off (a bit like Braille, if you wish). On 
positions range from two to five, depending on the letter, obviously in 
different positions so that all letters are unique and easily 
distinguishable. Depending on the way that a player is sitted, he will 
try to form those letters within particular frames on the board. Even 
worse (for the player), each time he successfully composes a letter he 
will have to change the frame.

"Each player begins the game with a Fault Report card and three random 
Jacquards. Jacquards are the cards that will allow the player to change 
the patterns on the board. They depict from two to four positions where 
a change will be effectuated within the board. Everything indicated must 
change; on becomes off and vice versa. The pattern they depict may be 
mirrored or rotated and can be apply to any part of the board as long as 
it fully fits. Some Jacquards also allow the player to draw Fault Report 
cards that he can play at any time during his or his opponents' turns, 
either to help his cause or to make his opponents' lives harder... The 
game ends when a player forms all five letters in his card, a point in 
which the player after him has one go towards sabotaging him. To achieve 
this that player must turn off all the lights in the winning player's 
tower by using his Jacquards with a limit of five stress points as 
usual. If he fails, victory is final. If he succeeds and has stress 
points to continue, he can actually get on with his turn. In the 
cooperative game the players play against the game trying to defeat the 
Post Office of Ankh-Morpork. There is an easy and a hard version. In 
both cases the players must transmit two words with a space between them 
and an end sign at their end (12 successful sent letters overall), while 
the Post Office however gets 38 and 34 steps respectively before 
reaching its destination...

"The strong points: Clacks is an abstract logical puzzle with elements 
of hand management of your randomized Jacquards draw. Its whole premise 
is based on finding the easiest possible way to transmit your letters in 
the right order. Seeing how players will be sitted in a cross-like 
pattern, they do not have to submit the letters in the same form and 
direction. In a four player game you might have the exact same letter to 
send with the player immediately after you, yet your positions are 
vertical. You will be causing mayhem to one another (and that's good)... 
Forget the rules that omit the timer. Clacks is pure logic; some sort of 
adrenaline is needed. I am glad to see a game that offers so many 
variants after such a long time. It tries to satisfy everybody: from 
those interested into puzzles to those that like shorter games to more 
hardcore players to children. Idem for competitive versus the coop 
version. Well done, Backspindle...

"The weak points: There is abstract, and then there is abstract. As much 
as I have read a couple of Discworld novels, the theme of Clacks is as 
pasted as it can be. This is a dry exercise in logic, especially if you 
are uninterested in the Discworld franchise. There is nothing wrong with 
that, of course; if however you like the games to have a recurring idea 
behind them, you might be disappointed... Conclusion: Clacks is a game 
for particular target groups and tastes. Discworld completists will be 
definitely intrigued, as will be puzzle solvers..."

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/16/16642.phtml

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

 From the Discworld Emporium:

"At Hogswatch the Sunshine Sanctuary is 'swamped' by countless dragons 
in desperate need of love and care. By adopting a dragon today you'll 
help provide vital aid for the sanctuary's most needy residents. In 
return for your contribution and support, you'll receive 3 own baby 
swamp dragons, lovingly and exclusively sculpted by Mr Paul Kidby!
Produced in a beautifully glinty cold-cast bronze finish, these dragon 
babies really glow! But that's not all – you'll also receive adoption 
certificates to name and keep safe with your dragons, all presented in 
transportation gift boxes to prevent escape!"

The Kidby dragons are priced at £30 each or £80 for the set of three. 
For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/category/sunshine-sanctuary-adopt-a-dragon


"The 2015 Definitive issues from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office will soon 
be retired to make way for new designs for The Year of the Sneezing 
Panda! These iconic issues, as designed by Moist Von Lipwig in Going 
Postal, are traditionally printed on authentic gummed stamp paper & 
available to collect as single stamps or in beautiful whole sheets... 
but not for long!"

To view the Discworld Emporium's stamps-for-sale collection, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps

Also...

* Death of Rats scythe earrings:

"Crafted in sterling silver and based on the Death of Rat's dinky little 
scythe, these miniature reaping tools designed by Terry Pratchett's 
himself look elegant dangling from even the most gnarled of earlobes. 
Measures 21mm, total drop length 31mm."

The Death of Rats scythe earrings are priced at £17.50/pair. For more 
information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-scythe-earrings

* Thud! Now back in stock:

"As Vetinari's game of choice, Thud became the central theme to Terry 
Pratchett's 34th Discworld novel Thud!, made a cameo appearance in Sky 
One's film adaptations and is enjoyed by thousands of Discworld fans and 
gamers across the world. Based on the ancient struggle between Dwarf and 
Troll, Thud is a game of two halves. Players take turns to play the fast 
moving Dwarfs as they attempt to trap Trolls in a carefully constructed 
ambush, only to then take the part of the fearless Trolls who lumber 
slowly yet powerfully around the board. You can learn to play in a 
matter of minutes, and no two games are ever the same. Contained within 
a cotton travel bag, each set comprises 32 Dwarfs, 8 Trolls, a Thud 
stone, Thud board, rulebook and an exclusive treatise penned especially 
for Thud by Terry Pratchett himself. Also included are rules for Koom 
Valley Thud, a high speed version of the game.

"The screenprinted heavyweight cotton board measures 47 x 47cm. The 
pieces are inspired by the Lewis Chessmen and are cast in resin with a 
carved bone effect finish. Dwarfs stand 35mms tall and Trolls stand at 
62mms.
Thud was devised by Trevor Truran and is produced officially and 
exclusively under licence of the Discworld Emporium."

Thud! is priced at £32.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/ThudGame

* The Steeleye Span "Wintersmith" Deluxe edition:

"An epic musical collaboration from mutual fans Steeleye Span and Terry 
Pratchett, based on the Discworld novel Wintersmith – a match made in 
folk-rock heaven! Steeleye Span famously played at Terry's 60th birthday 
party and they have been firm friends ever since. This deluxe double CD 
album features four extra songs, plus eight live tracks from the 
Wintersmith Tour and two exclusive demo versions. Features Maddy Prior, 
the voice of Steeleye for 40 years at the helm of the line-up, with band 
stalwart and fiddler extraordinaire Peter Knight, Rick Kemp on bass, 
Peter Zorn and Julian Littman on Guitars and Liam Genockey on the drum 
stool, With special guests Terry Pratchett, Kathryn Tickell and John 
Spiers."

The Wintersmith Deluxe edition CD is priced at £15.00. For more 
information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Steeleye%20Span%20Wintersmith


...and from Discworld.com... it's competition time!

"It's the Year of the Sneezing Panda and we're kicking the January blues 
firmly in the posterior with a stunning framed sepia print of Greebo the 
Man. Simply email your answer to the following question to 
pr at discworld.com .... How does Count Casanunda get onto his horse?" (Use 
the subject line Greebo the Man competition)

[Editor's note: the Greebo print is gorgeous. I know because we have one!]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld 
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on 30th November 1999 
(-5874 days to go), according to their website, or more probably on 
Monday 1st February 2016 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, 
London, W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ 
or email BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "We 
are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in 
Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people 
from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be 
heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and  good company. We 
welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you 
at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please 
contact us via Facebook 
(_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups 
(_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or 
join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the 
Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will 
continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan 
Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either 
Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things 
Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, 
Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery 
party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 
suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun 
night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December 
so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's 
Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who 
meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.

For more info about their next meetup, join up at 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula 
directly at uwilmott at yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South 
Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to 
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala 
Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 4th February 2016 
(probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For 
more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 5th 
February 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm 
onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of 
Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis 
since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not 
in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at 
The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to 
discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. 
Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the 
Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 1st 
February 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 
George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka 
Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets 
next on Monday 1st February 2016 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 
526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth 
Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra 
Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

09) WITHOUT WHOM: STEPHEN BRIGGS

Alan Rickman may have been named by Team Pratchett as "the best Vetinari 
that never was", but the *first* Vetinari in Roundworld came properly to 
the stage in the person of Stephen Briggs. It could be said that he owns 
the part now, as he has been playing our favourite Patrician for over 
twenty-one years. He was even there officiating as Lord Vetinari when 
the Roundworld town of Wincanton twinned itself with Ankh-Morpork! But 
he has done much, much more to help bring the Oeuvre of Pratchett to the 
public. It's a rare Discworld fan who doesn't own at least ancillary 
work touched by the hand of Stephen Briggs, be it the Tourist Guide to 
Lancre, the Discworld Companion, or the beautifully presented compendium 
of Pratchett quotations known as The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld; his 
audiobook recordings of many unabridged Pratchett novels have won major 
industry awards, and his Discworld stage adaptations are performed 
around the world.

Stephen Briggs' association with Terry Pratchett began back in 1991 when 
then-plain-Mister Pratchett saw the Studio Theatre Club perform Wyrd 
Sisters, which Mr Briggs had adapted (as well as playing the role of 
Duke Felmet of Lancre). The two of them then began an association that 
was to last for nearly twenty-five years, starting with the creation of 
the Discworld Companion and the original Ankh-Morpork Mapp. Since then, 
Mr Briggs has co-created many other Discworld ancillary works including 
Death's Domain, Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, and a number of official Discworld 
yearbooks and diaries. He has also recorded audiobook versions of more 
than thirty Pratchett novels and adapted many of these (and other 
Pratchett novels) for the stage; while there are other licenced 
adaptations of Discworld novels being performed by amateur theatre 
groups, the Briggs versions are most considered "the real deal" and have 
raised over £100,000 for the Orangutan Foundation, a favourite charity 
of Sir Pterry's and one of which he was a leading patron.

Most recently, Mr Briggs created a new play, The Shakespeare Codex 
(based on several Discworld books with a bit of Shakespeare for good 
measure) which will have its world premiere this April (see item 5.1 
above), and recorded the unabridged UK and USA audiobook of The 
Shepherd's Crown.

Oh, and he's a very helpful man, as some of the Wossname Newshounds can 
attest. So charge your glasses and raise a toast to Stephen Briggs. Hurrah!

http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/Stephen_Briggs
http://www.stephenbriggs.com/
http://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Stephen_Briggs

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: A WORD ABOUT CHALK HORSES

That's right – an actual word about chalk horses on hillsides. And that 
word, as it happens, is "leucipottomy". Coined, as far as we know, by 
one Morris Marples in 1949, leucipottomy is defined as the craft of 
cutting white horses into the turf chalk hillsides. Although there 
aren't many chalk horses in Roundworld, the making of them ranges across 
the centuries, from the famous Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire that 
inspired the look of the Chalk's White Horse in the Tiffany Aching 
series, to the turn-of-this-century one at Devizes in Wiltshire. White 
Horses can also be found in Kent, Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Surrey, 
Sussex, Dorset, Aberdeenshire (to date, the only White Horse in 
Scotland), Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, and South Wales, but Wiltshire is 
definitely the White Horse capital of the UK with at least six extant 
White Horses.

The Westbury White Horse dates to the Iron Age, was restored in 1778 and 
is still maintained, shining out across the Bratton Downs to this day 
(_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westburywhitehorse.jpg_). Some 
other famous ones include the Cherhill White Horse (late 18th century); 
the Marlborough White Horse (1804); the Alton Barnes White Horse (1812), 
one of the largest in existence; and the Broad Town White Horse (1864), 
while less white than most, is still plainly a chalk horse. The Pewsey 
White Horse, first of the twentieth century, was cut in 1937 and now 
forms a major part of the town's flag (_http://bit.ly/1lZrSTy_). There 
are also other hillside chalk animals, including the Laverstock Panda 
which was created near Salisbury in 1968 but is no longer visible, and 
of course the infamous Cerne Abbas Giant with his great big to–, er, 
move along, nothing to see here...

These monumental earth sculptures do require occasional maintenance. The 
traditional method is known as "scouring" and requires a good number of 
volunteers to strip away the weeds and dirt that have gathered since the 
previous maintenance (you may remember this being described, with the 
usual Oggish observation that clearing the shape of the horse is a 
rather secondary reason for young courting couples to participate). 
Another common method is "trenching": when the underlying chalk is not 
easily reached, a trench is dug and then filled with chalk from another 
site.

According to Michael Quinion of World Wide Words, leucipottomy "looks as 
though it is formed from the Greek roots leuci–, white, hippo, horse, 
and the suffix –tomy. Unfortunately this last doesn't mean cutting or 
carving, but refers to cutting out or excising (as in many medical terms 
such as hysterectomy), so it actually means cutting off or excising 
white horses, which isn't the same thing at all." But as it's the only 
word we have for this activity, and the pastime is so rare, that will do 
nicely. I do hope Tiffany can find "leucipottomy" in her dictionary too.

Sources:
Wikipedia (various)
http://www.wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk/
http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-leu1.htm

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

11) WOSSNAME REVIEWS "IN MEMORY: A TRIBUTE TO SIR TERRY PRATCHETT"

By Annie Mac

It's less than a year since Sorin Suciu and Laura May first put out the 
call for submissions to a planned anthology of short stories on the 
theme of memory, with a bonus angle of humour, to raise funds for 
Alzheimer's Research UK as a loving memorial to the life and work of Sir 
Terry Pratchett. The response was immediate and wide-ranging, with 
stories offered by amateur and professional writers alike, and the final 
result – In Memory: A Tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett – has been praised 
by no less a luminary of humour fiction than Robert Rankin.

Although I've spent many years reviewing Pratchett novels and associated 
Discworld "spinoff" books, map(p)s and other auxiliaries, I was unsure 
how to go about reviewing In Memory. But then I realised that the kernel 
of this review was already in the book itself, in an afterword by 
Charlotte Slocombe, author of Bubble Trouble, thirteenth story in this 
anthology: "Thank you for buying this book, because you never know who 
you might be saving." And there you have it. In Memory is a unique work, 
created as a combination tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett and as 
fundraising "merch" for the benefit of Alzheimer's Research UK. By 
purchasing a copy of In Memory, you're helping to keep the name of one 
of our most (rightly!) beloved authors alive in the world of literature 
and donating to a worthy and vital cause, but the glow of a good deed 
done isn't the only thing you'll come away with – because you'll also 
have the pleasure of reading a collection of seventeen bloody fine stories.

I really mean it. No lemonade is being squeezed here.

Given the at best variable quality of fan-generated writings, my 
expectations of In Memory were not exactly high. But I have to say that 
I was more than pleasantly surprised – far more, in fact. The quality of 
the writing is high throughout. The least polished of these stories is 
worthy of being commercially published, but in my opinion there are 
several standouts that deserve special mention:

"Thanks for the Memory Cards" by Luke Kemp would make for a brilliant 
short film in the hands of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright.

DK Mok's "The Heart of the Labyrinth" offers the kind of stealth 
philosophy, cloaked in the tropes of fantasy and mythology, of which Sir 
Pterry would have been proud.

"The Tale of the Storyteller" by Caroline Friedel is one of the sweetest 
tributes to our favourite author that I have yet seen.

In "The Vividarium", Steven McKinnon takes on Asimov and Clarke's clumsy 
attempts at humour and infuses them with a genuine sense of fun.

"Ackerley's Genuine Earth Antiques" by Michael K Schaefer upholds – 
proudly – the stylistic traditions of Fritz Leiber and Anthony Boucher 
with a light dusting of Connie Willis.

Co-editor Sorin Suciu's "Doris" is a classy enough tale to easily pass 
as golden-age Larry Niven.

Also, kudos go to editors May and Suciu for delivering an almost 
unblemished example of careful proofreading (with the exception of the 
most chortle-inducing uncaught mistype since the Wicked Bible of 1631 – 
it's on page 264, in case you wondered), which is rare these days even 
in the output of major publishing houses.

Each story in In Memory is followed by an afterword from its author, 
giving a brief overview of how it came into being and, of course, giving 
respect to Sir Pterry for inspiring them. The book is printed on decent 
quality paper and has a handsome cover – again, of a much higher quality 
than one might expect of a charity project. But most impressive of all, 
in my opinion, is that this collection represents a true labour of love. 
Nowhere did I find the slightest whiff of "I'm doing this to get my name 
out there in the industry" or "I'm doing this to make money". All 
seventeen authors – and the many others whose submissions couldn't be 
squeezed in – wrote their stories as a mark of the respect and 
admiration they felt for Sir Pterry, and as a way to give back for the 
joy his work brought into their lives. That kind of honesty is rarer 
than ye olde pearl of great price.

To all of you out there who say you want to keep Terry Pratchett's name 
alive forever "in the Overhead", I say buy this book, because the more 
money is raised for research into Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of 
dementia, the closer we'll get to stopping or even reversing the ravages 
of the awful thief of memory... and the more of us will never forget 
him. The people who put their hearts and time into this project hope to 
raise £6,500 for Alzheimer's Research UK; so far, almost £1,100 has been 
raised. Let's all go for it, hmm?

Editor's note:

Prices for In Memory: A Tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett range from $13.99 
on CreateSpace (_https://www.createspace.com/5759638_) down to $6.29 for 
a Kindle edition 
(_http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0163JZBLE?tag=sorsuc-20_). The ISBN is 
1517603609, should you wish to source it elsewhere.

To read about the step-by-step making of this book, go to 
http://inmemorytribute.com/blog/

Also, check out these links:
http://inmemorytribute.com/
http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

 From superfan and legendary Discworld auctioneer Pat Harkin, a certain 
travel accessory:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZbp1bVWkAA-c1T.jpg:large

A photo album of the Orangutan Foundation UK's first twenty years:
http://bit.ly/200mUJb

An action replay of sorts... this amazingly beautiful wall art of Sir 
Pterry and Gaspode by artist "RANDOM", featuring a quote from The Author 
about the reality of living with Alzheimer's, was featured on the 
Wossname blog last September, but it deserves another viewing. Here be 
the link to the post, with the image *and* the explanation of its 
location (the north Wales town of Buckley) and provenance: 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/21988.html

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

13) CLOSE

And now, a word about orangutans.

"Only 1 out of 6 orphans are lucky enough to be rescued. Care of these 
orphans is costly, as they require veterinary care to ensure that they 
are in a healthy condition and have the best chance of survival in the 
wild. From as little as £30 yearly you can make a real difference in 
helping these orangutans to survive! All adoption money goes directly 
towards helping orphaned orangutans in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve."

For more information, go to:
http://www.orangutan.org.uk/how-to-help/adopt-an-orangutan

Books, DVDs, cuddly toys, t-shirts and much more – a great way to help 
conserve our precious Librarians whilst enjoying your purchases:
http://shop.orangutan.org.uk/

http://www.orangutan.org.uk/how-to-help/make-a-donation
http://www.orangutan.org.uk/

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Troll Bridge film has a beautiful new-look 
website and still no purported release date:
http://www.trollbridge.film/

And that's the lot for January 2016. I hope everyone out there had a 
good holiday season and is having a reasonable start to the Year of the 
Sneezing Panda. See you next month!

– Annie Mac

Remember, the Wossname blog (_wossname.dreamwidth.org_) often features 
image-based posts and is worth checking now and again. The mirror 
version of this current issue can be viewed at 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/27457.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner 
(at) pearwood (dot) info